New Ashburton Museum doubles visitor numbers in first month

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Thursday 26 March 2015

Ashburton's new Museum in the Art Gallery and Heritage Centre building on West Street is proving very popular.

Although it has only been open for a little over a month, more than 2000 people have already visited the museum which is well over twice the number that visited the museum in its former building during the same period last year.

Museum Manager Michael Hanrahan says the result is very pleasing.

"While there's no doubt some people are visiting just because the facility is new, there's been a noticeable increase in the number of visitors from out of town, especially from overseas."

He says comments left in the museum's visitors' book have been overwhelmingly positive and many people have said they would return for a second visit.

Another positive aspect has been the large number of visits from schools. Nine visits have either taken place or been booked which is more than would have happened in a year in the old building.

Mr Hanrahan says the museum is fortunate to have the services of specialist heritage teachers based at South Canterbury Museum who can come to Ashburton to work with schools.

A number of other groups, such as rest home residents, have also visited and quite a few have been making use of the museum's research facilities.

"It all adds up to the museum doing what it is here to do – telling a wide range of people the story of Ashburton in an attractive manner."